Summary A
motorcycle Bluetooth intercom system with a very
different approach to control layout that makes it very
easy to use. Very loud volume and excellent sound
quality also.
Introduction
Burn and I were working with the new Sena
SMH10 intercom system one day last week, when suddenly
we realized that a new day has finally dawned
for motorcycle communications.
What might be called the first "Gen 1" Bluetooth intercom systems
that we reviewed about 3 years ago were
difficult to use. Communication of any type
involved a series of obscure and illogical
button-pushing sequences that challenged the gray cells
of young and old alike, to a
point where the intercoms were best left at home.
Next came what might be called the "Gen 2" systems, marked
by an improved user interface but with sound quality and
volume levels that quickly faded at anything beyond
residential road speeds.
And now? Now we're talking -- if I may pun the
saying -- because we finally have arrived, with
motorcycle intercom systems that work, and work
beautifully well.
In fact, while past webBikeWorld intercom reviews
were mostly a focus on what features didn't work and
why, along with tricks and tips to get past the issues,
these new generation intercom systems are making the
reviewing task a real pleasure.
It's now assumed and expected that when you turn the
darn things on, they're going to pair (an amazing
concept!). And they'll pair with whatever else you
throw at them -- GPS, MP3, iPods, uPods, mePods,
whatever...
So we can now call these the "Gen 3" systems; characterized by
very nice products like the recently reviewed
Interphone F4
(review); the Scala Rider G4 (review in process); and the Sena
SMH10 system described here.
In fact, it was the Sena SMH10 system that turned on
the light bulb for us, because this system pretty much
defines the term "ease of use" as it applies to
motorcycle Bluetooth intercom systems.
Introduction to Sena Technologies
Now while intercom manufacturers -- er, pardon me -- I
mean "motorcycle communications systems providers" --
with names like Interphone, Scala and Midland are
familiar to motorcyclists, Sena is not.
But, chances are you've used a Sena product anyway
without even knowing it.
Sena makes high-tech gear like "external, embedded,
wireless and industrial device servers" and they're also
big in the industrial Bluetooth arena. They make
products
like Bluetooth serial adapters Bluetooth access points
used for information technology services, telecom
applications, retail point-of-sale,
industrial automation (i.e., advanced factories) and
medical automation applications.
Sena specializes in what is known as "M2M", or
machine-to-machine communications. Customers for
these products are mostly other manufacturers who
embed and integrate Sena equipment in various types of
manufacturing systems.
In fact, M2M magazine (yes, there is such a thing!) named Sena Technologies in their "Top 100 M2M Technology
Providers" for the fourth year in a row.
OK, but what does a tech firm who makes "M2M"
products know about things like motorcycles and a
sensible user interface? Plenty, as it turns
out...
The Sena SMH10 Motorcycle Bluetooth
Intercom System
Just by coincidence, The Sena SMH10 intercoms and the new Scala
Rider G4 intercom system arrived within 24 hours of each
other. So comparisons
are inevitable, but in some ways, the two systems are
aimed at different audiences.
We wanted to bring you as much information as we
could as quickly as possible, so this "First Look" at
the Sena SMH10 will cover the basics. Up next will
be a more detailed look by HBC, our intrepid electronics
whiz, who will be taking the Sena and Scala systems on
an extended motorcycle tour in the warmer parts of the
U.S. over the next several weeks. He will then
report back with all the details.
The most striking thing about both the Sena SMH10 and
the Scala Rider G4 systems are their size. With
added features comes added size, apparently. But
this isn't a bad thing, because larger is better for
glove-wearing motorcyclists.
Wall charger is a module with country-specific adapters.
Sena SMH10 Features
There are two design factors that are immediately
noticeable on the Sena
SMH10: first, the absence of buttons. Believe it or
not, those M2M engineers at Sena have made what we think
is a breakthrough in a motorcycle intercom user
interface -- take a look at the SMH10 and what do you
see? A total of one button.
That's right -- only one! It's called the
"Phone Button" because is controls pretty much all of
the functions of a paired cell phone.
The other can't-miss feature is what I call the "Big
Wheel" and what Sena calls the "Jog Dial". The Jog
Dial controls the intercom functions. The Jog Dial
also rotates to -- get this -- raise and lower the volume!
Yep, just like in the old days, one of the best and most
intuitive electronic interface systems ever made.
Rotate the wheel one way to raise the volume; rotate it
the other way to lower the volume. Why didn't I
think of that?
I'm being facetious, of course. When the Jog
Dials is pushed, it activates some of the intercom
functions. So I guess you could say it is a second
button, but still -- when's the last time you used a
motorcycle intercom with only two buttons?
We really like this feature, because the dial is nice
and big and easy to find and use. It has a smooth
rotation with just enough friction to provide feedback
and to hold it in place when it's moved.
The Jog Dial is indicative of the simplicity of the
SMH10 intercom system. The owner's manual is
thinner than most because it's easier to
understand. Both Burn and I realized we didn't
have to keep referring back to the manual every time we
wanted to use another feature.
Each SMH10 will also pair with three other SMH10
units, for a total of four, although pairing the
four at one time does take another read-through of the
manual.
But I'm getting ahead of myself here. Since
this is a "First Look", I'll briefly describe the
features we have been using over the last few weeks:
Easy On/Off: The SMH10 is very easy to
turn on and especially easy to turn off. To turn
the unit on, press and hold the single button and the
Jog Dial for 2 seconds and the SMH10 fires up.
Turning it off is a snap -- it's not necessary to press
and hold and wait; simply press the Phone Button and jog
dial again and it instantly powers down. Nice.
Sound: Stereo, Bluetooth 2.1, Headset
Profile, Hands-Free Profile (HFP), Advanced Audio
Distribution Profile (A2DP), Audio Video Remote Control
Profile (AVRCP). The system has a wider than
normal volume range, from very low to very high.
VOX: VOX can be enabled on demand.
When enabled, the system turns on after a brief (~1
second) pause, then stays on during the conversation.
If no words spoken in 20 seconds, the connection is put
in sleep mode and can be enabled again by speaking.
Once we discovered that both units must be put in VOX
mode to get it to function, we used this method.
Speakers: High-quality speakers have a
relatively heavy magnet (we weighed each speaker at 10
grams vs. 7 grams for the Scala G4), good sound quality
and the volume can be raised very high.
Pairing: Four person pairing.
Pairs with Bluetooth music players. Can also
connect with non-Bluetooth music players or devices via
a 3.5 mm input jack in the back of the intercom module.
Pairs with Bluetooth-enabled cell phones and GPS units
in stereo.
Battery: Lithium polymer. Claimed
~12 hours or more talk time, 10 days standby.
Listening to MP3 players takes slightly more power, so a
combination of the above will vary the battery life, as
is usual with intercom systems.
Accessories: The SMH10 is available
either as a single unit or a dual kit. The single
unit box shown above contains a headset (intercom
module, robust mounting bracket, speakers, boom mic,
charger, USB cable, cigarette lighter adapter, stick-on
mount (if needed) and an extra microphone wind sock and
Velcro stickies for the speakers.
Very strong helmet mounting bracket uses hex-head cap
screws and brass inserts, along with rubber padding.
Helmet Mounting: The SMH10 headset
can be described with words like hefty, robust and
strong. Ditto on the helmet mount, which also
features rubber pads on both sides to help protect the
helmet and provide more grip.
The mount is a bit on the thick side, and may not fit
between the liner and shell of some helmets...as is the
case with other intercom helmet mounting systems also.
But we'd much rather have big 'n' hefty than small 'n'
wimpy.
The hex socket screws that are used on the helmet mount
screw into brass adapters inside the headset, as seen in
the photo above. This is a quality system that,
once installed, should give no problems at all.
Sena also supplies an external helmet mount bracket with
double-sided tape which we have not used.
Microphone (L) has a small triangle to indicate the
mouth side.
Using the Sena SMH10
The SMH10 module locks securely into place in the
headset unit with a tab on the bottom of the module and
a clip at the top (see the video below). The
module feels very secure once it's in place in the
headset, and the headset feels sturdy. The
microphone boom also has a robust attachment where it
enters the headset.
The headset and the module are mostly finished in a
matte rubberized water-resistant surface treatment.
The glossy part of the module is a translucent cover
that hides the LED indicator light. The glossy
plastic can get scratched, but it may be possible to
polish it if necessary.
On/Off: Press and
hold the Jog Dial and the intercom button and the system
fire up within 2 seconds, noted by an announcement tone
and the familiar flashing blue light, which is subtly
indicated under the transparent module cover.
Turn off the SMH10 by simultaneously pressing the Jog
Dial and intercom button and it instantly shuts down, so
the user does not have to press, hold and wait to make
sure the unit is off, as is the case with other
intercoms we've used.
Pairing: The SMH10 has a slightly
different pairing procedure than other systems.
The unit is turned on first, then once it's on, press
and hold the intercom button for about 5 seconds to
place it in pairing mode. This is the same
procedure for pairing with other SMH10 units, GPS, MP3
or Bluetooth adapters.
Multiple Pairing: Up to four
SMH10 units can be paired but do not allow four person,
full duplex communications. Once the rider and
passenger systems are paired, the rider can also be
paired with two others, then the passenger can also pair
with two others. So it might go something like
this:
Step 1: Pair A to B,C and
D.
Step 2: Pair B to C and D (skip A since A is
already paired with B at Step 1).
Step 3: Pair C to D (skip A and B since they're
already paired with C at Step 1 and 2).
Once all four units are paired, any unit can initiate
an intercom conversation with any other unit by tapping
the Jog Dial one, two or three times. This is
where it pays to study the owner's manual, which has a
graphic illustrating how this works.
It's slightly counterintuitive, because the last
intercom that was paired takes the least amount of taps.
For example, if headset A is paired with B, C and D,
then one tap connects with D; two taps with C and three
taps with B.
Cell Phone: Although we recommend
never using a cell phone while riding a motorcycle, a
Bluetooth-enabled cell phone can be easily paired with
the SMH10 as described above and illustrated in the
video.
Once the phone is paired, to answer a call, press the
intercom button in the rear of the SMH10 module, or
answer with voice if the voice activation system is
enabled on the SMH10 (it's turned off by default).
To enable the voice answering activation, press and hold
the intercom button for 8 seconds, until the LED turns
solid red.
VOX: A similar method is used to
enable the VOX system on the SMH10. Note that VOX is only available between two systems
if all four are paired; if you think about it, there
would be some difficulty in using voice to call the
other headsets.
To enable VOX mode, press the Jog Dial for 5 seconds
until the red light flashes. Keep pressing for
another 3 seconds to go into VOX configuration mode
(solid red light). Tap the Jog dial to enable the
VOX mode. Blue light comes on for a moment as a
confirmation.
Range: Sena claims up to 900
meters range for intercom communication (under ideal
conditions, of course) and we have no reason to doubt
that. Burn and I are able to communicate clearly
at any distance we care to during our evaluation runs
and, in fact, the SMH10 will now become our standard
system for this purpose.
GPS and MP3: The SMH10 easily
paired with our trusty
Sony Bluetooth adapter
(review) when the
Sony was connected to an MP3 player and older Mio GPS
unit. Since we don't have one of the newer Garmin
GPS units available here, we'll have to wait for HBC's
report on how the SMH10 interacts with that device.
The MP3 player or device can be controlled to some
extent if it includes the AVRCP profile. Press the
Jog Dial for 1 second to pause; press and turn the Jog
Dial to forward or reverse the track.
Sena also provides a nice coiled accessory cable with
3.5 mm jacks on either end, which can be used to connect
wired devices directly to the headset.
Larger-than-average stereo speakers provide outstanding
sound volume and quality.
Sound and Volume: The sound quality
of the SMH10 is outstanding for a motorcycle Bluetooth
intercom system. While the mid-range of the tunes
recorded directly from the admittedly cheap iRiver MP3
player's radio are somewhat muddled, this is due to the
recording itself rather than the SMH10.
Speakers: The Sena speakers
actually have very good bass response and the volume has
a huge range -- the greatest amount of range of any
motorcycle intercom system we've reviewed so far, from
very low to very loud. We never had to use the
highest volume at any speed.
The speakers are noticeably larger and heavier than
other intercom speakers and, in fact, they actually
sound better when placed slightly farther from the ear
than normally is the case (usually, a motorcycle
intercom speaker must be placed very close to the ear
for best response).
The Sena speakers actually
work very nicely in a motorcycle helmet that has a
deeper ear pocket; it's almost like the speakers use the
air volume in the ear pocket as a speaker enclosure.
We did not run volume comparisons but a subjective
evaluation points to the SMH10 as having a higher volume
and better sound quality than any other intercom system
reviewed.
Large size of the SMH10 intercom with Jog Dial and
charging port.
Charger: Sena provides a 20 mm
diameter cigarette lighter accessory outlet charger with
the SMH10. It can be used to charge and run the
SMH10 simultaneously while riding.
Conclusion
Motorcycle intercom systems just keep getting better and
better, and the rapid improvements in technology and
availability now offers many different choices to the
motorcyclist.
The danger is that the "more is better" mentality
will take over, driven by the urge to compete on
features rather than function.
The Sena SMH10 system takes a different tack -- while
offering all of the desired functionality with a nicely
streamlined user interface that makes the system a
pleasure to use in the "real world"; i.e., while riding
a motorcycle, where it may be both dangerous and
frustrating to try and remember the correct sequence of
buttons to work the intercom system.
Sena has obviously thought about this issue and made
the SMH10 easy to use with the two-button interface.
But of course, that wouldn't be enough -- the SMH10 has
outstanding volume and sound qualities and there should
be no complaints in that department by any motorcyclist.
Review Date:
February
2010 Note: Products provided by the manufacturer for this
review (more).
NOTE: Only authorized Sena
retailers have the latest legal versions of the SMH10. Some
online sellers may have gray market,
older or pre-production versions of the product. Only
authorized Sena dealers will have the latest version, backed by a
warranty. Don't try to save a few dollars and end up with
a problems!
NOTE: The webBikeWorld intercom evaluators always wear properly fitted ear
plugs while riding during the intercom evaluations and this is reflected in their opinions on sound quality and speaker volume.
Your experience may and probably will differ. Always wear high-quality,
correctly fitted ear plugs when riding a motorcycle (more).
Please
send
comments to
Comments are ordered from most recent to oldest.
Not all comments will be published (details). Comments may be edited for
clarity prior to publication.
From "T.C." (6/10): "I presently
have a Scala Q2 Rider in my (Shoei) X-11 helmet.
It was the only one that had speakers that were skinny
enough to fit in the ear pocket of my helmet. I
use a phone hooked up to my Zumo 550 that also runs
MP3s. And I always use earplugs to cut down on
wind noise. This really does make a big difference
in sound quality of MP3s.
How does the speaker size of the SMH10 compare to the
Q2? Are they thicker or just larger in diameter?
Can I hook up my zumo to the headset using its Bluetooth
connector for directions and also connect my phone with
MP3 and stereo Bluetooth to the headset directly (No
phone through Zumo)? Or will the two compete and
never connect?
I know that I now have to connect my headset to my Zumo
first and then my phone to the Zumo or they keep
disconnecting especially when trying to make a phone
call."
HBC's Response:
Q1. How does the speaker size of the SMH10 compare to
the Q2? Are they thicker or just larger in diameter?
A1. The Cardo Q2 and G4 speakers are the same size -
their diameter is 36 mm and they are 5 mm thick, plus
another mm or two for the backing. The Sena SMH10
speaker on the other hand is 40 mm in diameter and 6 mm
thick, plus another 2 mm for backing.
I checked a few Shoei helmets out and the RF1100 seems
to have one of the best cutouts or pockets for mounting
speakers, including the Sena units, while most other
Shoei models don't have much or any recess area at all.
Q2. Can I hook up my zumo to the headset using its
Bluetooth connector for directions and also connect my
phone with MP3 and stereo Bluetooth to the headset
directly (No phone through Zumo)? Or will the two
compete and never connect? I know that I now have
to connect my headset to my Zumo first and then my phone
to the Zumo or they keep disconnecting especially when
trying to make a phone call.
A2. The Q2 and zumo (not sure what model you have) will
or should pair up using the Headset profile although as
the Q2 does not support the A2DP (stereo) profile so
navigation and MP3 audio as applicable will be received
as mono in the headset. A second device, like your
multi-feature phone should pair up to the headset,
typically via the Hands-free profile.
So if each device uses a different profile, contention
issues are reduced. Don’t forget that the Q2 will treat
a paired phone as Priority One, unless the mobile phone
is hosted by the zumo. For what its worth, some mobile
phones allow the user to select which features to use
(Headset, Hands-free, Stereo Headset) or will
automatically sense which profiles to allow for the
connection.
However, depending on your phone and compatibility with
the headset, you may or may not get an audio stream when
using the MP3 player and if you do, the audio stream be
mono, even though the Q2 headset supports stereo audio
(via auxiliary input).
Many European multi-feature devices will stream music in
mono, but in North America its not as common. This
is one reason why many users connect their music player
directly to the Q2 via the previously mentioned
auxiliary input port. Based on Q2 system audio
prioritization, the phone will be the Priority One
device.
You have obviously discovered the necessary procedure
for getting the headset and zumo, and the zumo hosting
the phone configuration to work...however with some
headsets, GPS navigation devices and mobile phones,
setting up the respective pairs is not as critical - it
really is a discovery thing.
From "R.A.L." (5/10): "It says more
about the Apple iPhone than it does the Sena, but I
inadvertently managed to get two SMH10s feeding from one
iPhone for music. Probably because I didn't want
to ... Heh.
GF has an iPhone and was listening when I tried to
repair with my Nano (with BT dongle). Instead I
got paired to her iPhone ... while she was still
listening.
Don't tell RIAA or Apple, they'll both sue :-/
So far we've used to Senas on a solid 4 day trip and
they've worked outstandingly well in all circumstances,
from twisty back roads out of sight of each other to
highway blasts. Very happy with them.
Except the waving chicken leg and widdershins dance
required to get the Garmin GPS and iPod to both be
recognised at the same time (it's just a sequence of
pairings thing, but still ...).
Now I want to hunt down an audio mixer with BT output so
I can hang the GPS, iPod and radar detector all on one
unit in my tankbag. Heh."
From "C.U." (5/10): "Thanks for your
excellent reviews, keep up the good work...
I just want to point out and clarify that G4 is the only
intercom who has "conferencing" or in between riders
seamless communication, at the very same time… I have
bought a pair of SENAs based on your reviews, and I
believed it would communicate with 3 other riders, at
the same time or “conferencing” each other, my surprise
was it doesn't do conferencing , just one rider at a
time.
You have to change channels manually and toggle between
them in order to communicate each other one at a
time..!!!… This is a BIG drawback, barely touched
in your reviews. I hope you could clarify more
regarding this issue when you do your reviews.
Because as I was, and my riding partners, expecting a
system that could really integrate us riding."
Editor's Reply: Sorry for the
confusion, I thought this was described in the reviews.
Unfortunately, it's not always possible to evaluate
every feature or combination of features during the
reviews. We have only two G4 intercoms and they
were paired with one G2 intercom as described in Part 2
of the G4 review, but it wasn't possible to try the
conferencing feature with the G4 so at this point, I'm
not even sure if or how it works.
Follow-up From HBC: This was
addressed in the Part Two article under the Multiple
Intercom Connections and the limitation of serial
use (one-to-one at a time). And yes, the G4 is the
only system right now that can do a true three-way, or
four-way with a relay.
From "J.B." (4/10) (Not related to J.B.
below!):
"I sent comments last month about the BT
Multi-Interphone Headset, not impressive. However,
I have since sent the Multi-interphone set back to the
vendor, purchased a Sena SMH10 set and installed in my
helmet.
All I can say is WOW. The Bluetooth works great
with my phone (Blackberry Pearl). Comments from others
is the sound quality is better than the Bluetooth from
my truck stereo.
Simple phone link up & controls are VERY easy to use.
Sound is definitely not hi-fi quality when MP3 music is
driven from my phone, but my helmet (Shark RSX) may be
contributing to that. Overall, this is a great
buy!
My thanks to WebBikeWorld for the awesome reviews!"
From "J.B." (4/10): "I too purchased
2 sets of Sena SMH10 based on the reviews here at
webBikeWorld and noticed a problem with the way the
system operates in regards to the "Priority" of its
inputs. This may be more of a personal issue as
the units have worked great so far but I will explain my
situation.
Primarily I purchased the system to get an audible
alert from my Radar Detector, listen to MP3 music on my
Garmin GPS, get directions from GPS, and last but not
least to talk with the pillion.
The unit pairs nicely with the GPS and while
listening to music from the GPS MP3 player the music
cuts out briefly for direction instructions...perfect so
far. Here is the caveat, when I plug in the Radar
via 3.5mm plug, it cuts everything else off even if
there is no signal going to the Sena via the 3.5mm plug.
Therefore, Bluetooth Audio can not be heard if you plug
in the 3.5mm cord...bummer!!
I was hoping the unit would "prioritize" ALL signals
going to it and play in order of priority, I was unaware
that plugging in the 3.5mm jack would cut off Bluetooth
Audio. My thought was that a Radar signal may only
happen once in awhile when travelling on the highway
thus interrupting your Bluetooth music periodically but
this is not the case.
Below is a response from Sena in regards to the
priority of the Sena;
'Thank you for your interest in
SMH10. 3.5 mm audio input has higher priority than
Bluetooth Audio (we had a mistake in the manual that is
now corrected). So when you have an audio device
plugged into the 3.5mm jack, your Bluetooth Audio stream
is blocked (it doesn't matter any audio device is
connected at the other end of the cable or not).
So, if you want to hear Bluetooth Audio, you have to
pull out the audio cable from the 3.5 mm jack of the
SMH10. However, mobile phone still has highest
priority. It means that when you are using mobile phone,
you cannot hear the audio signal of the radar detector
through the 3.5 mm plug. The priority is mobile
phone - intercom - 3.5 mm audio plug - Bluetooth audio.'
Editor's Reply: I believe
conventional for devices connected through an input jack
to have priority.
From "R.S." (4/10): "When music is
playing and a call comes in, the music is interrupted by
the incoming call. That's clear. But does
the Sena switch back to the music seamlessly after
stopping the call? So in general - the priority
system also manages switching back after interrupting a
less prioritized action or does it go to stand-by?
Is it possible to share some input, like GPS with a
second unit? It would be great especially for
sharing the GPS messages, so the friend on a second bike
is informed about the route like the first biker.
I read this is possible with the midland BT2, but miss
this information in the Sena and Interphone review.
I like your reviews much, they are great help for
finding the right system for my needs so far. The
only wish I had would be an improved comparability
between the systems you reviewed, for example by
implementing comparing charts or tables."
HBC's Responses:
Q1: When music is playing and a call
comes in... A1: As with other Bluetooth systems, the Sena
has its priority system, which is (highest to lowest) -
mobile phone, intercom, stereo music by audio cable and,
Bluetooth stereo music. Once a higher priority audio
stream ends, the previous session (lower priority)
resumes, usually in 1-2 seconds and I never had any
problems with a stream resuming, even from the lowest
priority wireless stereo stream.
If the audio cable is disconnected or the wireless
stream link lost, or as noted with some older Bluetooth
devices the wireless stream has to be started again
manually, then yes, the system will default to standby
mode.
Q2: Is it possible to share some input, like
GPS with a second unit?...
A2: Unfortunately sharing is not possible and I
actually did raise this observation under the Bottom
Line, Features, Audio Sharing paragraph for a very
specific reason. Audio broadcasting or sharing is
a much requested feature - next to having a good
intercom. As noted, the Midland system can share
audio although I had very limited success with it: on
the other hand the Chatterbox XBi does it
seamlessly...mono or stereo.
Comment - I like your reviews much, they are great
help for finding the right system for my needs so far... Reply - thanks for the kind words and to
address your comment, and those received by others, a
head to head roll-up between the Interphone G4, Cardo G4
and Sena SMH10 is being put together and it will have a
feature and performance comparison table.
(Editor's Note: It sometimes
isn't possible to directly compare products because
different evaluators have individual pieces of equipment
at different times and are located in different
countries or continents. Or, the equipment isn't
available for direct comparisons).
General follow-up on the SMH10:
We're working on follow-up articles to the Cardo G4 and
the Interphone. Another observation that I had
documented but forgot to put in Part Two regards audio
connections. When an audio cable is plugged into
the MP3 port on the module it effectively blocks the
Bluetooth (wireless) stereo stream (lowest priority),
even if there is nothing connected to the input cable.
This limitation is similar to some music systems that
cut out the speakers when a headset is plugged in.
In reality this situation was not unexpected - given
switching, channelization and priorities, but it is
something that could or should be documented in the User
Guide...
From "J.W." (4/10) (Note: Edited from
several emails in correspondence): "For those with
the Sena with a Garmin zumo 550 and/or an iPhone, I
purchased (a Sena SMH10) and am having a hard time
getting the headset to work with
the phone through the zumo. I suspect there are
lots of zumo/iPhone users out there wanting to do the
same thing I am. Might save them some trouble.
(Note) that Sena has been responsive and great with
their answers to my rudimentary questions!
It appears it's more an iPhone/zumo issue. If I
pair the iPhone to the zumo to the SMH10 headset, it all
seems to work fine, and I thought it did. My phone
book is still on the zumo like it should be, but the
phone function doesn't work at all. Dial a number
and it acts like I didn't do anything. If I try
pairing the iPhone to the headset with the zumo also
connected, then both connections drop.
According to Sena that is a function of the iPhone,
not the zumo, and Sena's explanation made sense:
'The reason that your phone
does not work is that the Bluetooth connection between
the Zumo and iPhone is lost. Even though your
iPhone shows up on the zumo screen, the connection is
already dead. You can check it on your iPhone
/setting/general/Bluetooth.
Because the Bluetooth timeout interval of the zumo is
pretty long, the iPhone continues to show up on the zumo
screen after the connection is dead. Also the
reason why your phone book is there is that it is
already downloaded from your iPhone to the zumo when
they initially make a Bluetooth connection with each
other.
So, even after the Bluetooth connection is dead, your
phone book is still there. Please restart the zumo
(power off & on) when you have this problem, then the
zumo will recover the Bluetooth connection with the
iPhone.
You can use a BT adaptor for the zumo, but you need to
have an audio + phone dongle. If you use a BT
dongle for music/navigation you can not use your iPhone
via Zumo by Bluetooth.
If my zumo was the latest with stereo Bluetooth, and
if the iPhone allowed different pairing sequence,
it'd probably be great. Again, I think the problem
is at the zumo and iPhone, not the Sena. When the
iPhone is paired to the Sena SMH10 and not through the
zumo, it works great.
I've been really impressed with Sena's responsiveness
to my issues. It's clear that my problems are not
Sena related, rather zumo/iPhone and my expectations of
the unit. I thought I did my due diligence, but
clearly not enough! Unfortunately, all this stuff
isn't where I'd like it to be for me yet!"
From "D.R." (4/10): "My first review
for the Sena; this is a solo use only as I have yet to
need another unit (will need by mid-summer so expect
another comment then).
The device installed easily and firmly on my Shoei
Hornet DS (size L) with ease – and the bottom edge of
the helmet has a bit of a lip on it, again, no issue.
The speakers took up about half of the ear cavity – this
might be a problem on this helmet for anyone with large
ears.
The Sena paired up immediately with both my TomTom
Rider2 and Samsung SGH phone…wow!
My biggest compliment is the sound quality and volume at
this point…I am only running the volume at about 50-60%;
without outside noise, this unit is TOO loud if turned
all the way up. The sound quality is really an
improvement over old systems."
Editor's Note: OK, this is a first
-- a user reporting that an intercom is too loud!
;-)
From "M.H." (3/10): "I purchased 2
of the Sena headsets, mainly due to the review here.
We are using them in the
HJC IS Max helmets (review).
I've had them for over a week, and had the
opportunity to give them a "real world" test, several
times. They work wonderful.
Here in the rolling foothills of western North
Carolina we are getting ranges of up to 1/4, or slightly
more, from headset to headset. Plenty of range for
our riding style. We have maintained
communications at speeds of 75 MPH, without any
difficulty.
Although I'm not a advocate of using a cell
phone while on the bike, it works exactly as advertised.
My wife purchased a Bluetooth MP3 player to PAIR to her
set, and it works excellent. The sound quality is
amazing, and plenty loud!
Just yesterday 2 others in our group received their
units, so we finally got the opportunity to use them as
a group. Again, they work flawlessly. Paring
to the other 2 was a snap, and usage while on the road
was a breeze.
I love the simplicity of the jog dial. Even
with winter gloves on, I can operate the unit without
any difficulty. The only downside is, one can't
PAIR headsets from different manufactures. The
user manual is well written, and installation was
straight forward. On a scale from 1 to 10, this
one is easily a 9 in my opinion."
